Expect to Wait in Line! Rich Ebi Tsukemen Restaurant

I get off the train at Shinjuku Sanchome station and walk towards Sendagya. That’s when I find a line up in a small alley….

Yes, this is the place I want to recommend! A very popular Shinjuku Tsukemen (thick noodles with separate dipping sauce) restaurant, “Tsukemen Gonokami Seisakujo”!

Their most loved dish is their tsukemen using shrimp dashi (soup broth).

I go stand in the line and right away, the flavor of the savory shrimp fills the air.

I’m so excited!

I wait in line for fifteen minutes… and finally get my “shokken” (menu ticket) at the vending machine!! I decided to order the standard Ebi Tsukemen.

But I still have to wait for another ten minutes to enter the restaurant…

Finally, I make it inside. There is one counter space and no tables.

The other side of the counter is the kitchen.

I look around and notice that all the customers’ noodle portions look really big… did they all order larger bowls?

After some time, my tsukemen is ready.

I can smell the shrimp from the thick soup! It makes me even hungrier!

…. And just look at the noodles.

Just to be clear, I didn’t order the extra large portion.

It’s so much!

Slices of boiled cabbage are on the side of the thick brown noodles.

I dip the noodles in the soup, and “itadakimasu!”

The strong flavor of shrimp soup mixes very well with the noodles. A very rich taste!

It completely makes sense that all these people were lining up.

The toppings are fatty chashu (roasted pork) cubes.

and thick triangular menma (seasoned bamboo).

All the toppings are perfectly seasoned.

The noodles are nice and chewy while being smooth. They are substantial but not as heavy as they look.

If you want a change in the taste, try sprinkling some shichimi pepper. The little extra spice will help you to keep going!

If you finish the sauce, they will give you a second bowl for free, so that’s nice too!

When you finish the noodles, ask the staff for “soup wari”. They will mix your remaining soup with some dashi and serve it to you. You can drink it just like that!

The slices of negi leek add an exciting flavor to the soup.

I was so full that I wasn’t able to finish all the noodles…

But it was delicious and very satisfying tsukemen!

Other than their signature shrimp dashi tsukemen, Tomato Ebi Tsukemen (tomato and shrimp tsukemen) is a popular menu as well. The soup is tomato based, with shrimp in it instead of chashu. The noodles are accompanied with bread slices and not cabbage.

I think I might try it next time.

It was a long wait, but definitely worth it! I highly recommend this little hidden restaurant!

writer：Tanna♡